Malaysian government website hacked with PM 'resignation'

A 'resignation' letter posted Monday morning (18 February 2013) posted on the Malaysian Information Department's website has been confirmed as a hoax and the work of unknown hackers and is being investigated by the country's regulator Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

A 'resignation' letter posted Monday morning (18 February 2013) posted on the Malaysian Information Department's website has been confirmed as a hoax and the work of unknown hackers and is being investigated by the country's regulator Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

The Information Department's director-general Datuk Ibrahim Abdul Rahman confirmed to the media that the department has not issued any statement about a resignation by the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.

Ibrahim said that two statements [the other hoax statement concerned applications for Malaysian citizenship], Memo Permohonan Rakyat Malaysia and Perdana Menteri Secara Rasminya Meletak Jawatan were falsely posted on the e-Akhbar and e-Press sections of the website early Monday morning.

He added that the false announcement was uploaded by unknown hackers about 6am, then noticed by a professor from Pahang, and officially deleted by 8.15am, and that a police report has been made.

"We've tracked down the IP address and it is not a local address," he said to reporters. "It is foreign, but I will not mention the country because we believe the hackers can scramble their IP [internet protocol ]address."

He added the Prime Minister's department has also been informed and the hack is perceived as a "desperate measure" to attack the government and that the department has also set up additional security procedures. In addition, Putrajaya police chief ACP Abdul Razak Abdul Majid said the police investigation is under the purview of the Commercial Crimes Investigations Department (CCID) and will be supported by the MCMC.